Cholesterol is a fatty substance, known as a lipid, and is essential for the normal functioning of the body.

However, having excessively high levels of lipids in your blood can lead to serious health issues such as atherosclerosis – which is the narrowing of the arteries – heart attacks, strokes, mini strokes and peripheral arterial disease.

There are two types of cholesterol, one which is ‘good’ and one which is ‘bad’.

‘Good’ cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein (HDL), carries cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver, where it’s either broken down or passed out of the body as a waste product.

‘Bad’ cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), carries cholesterol to the cells that need it, but if there’s too much cholesterol for the cells to use, it can build up in the artery walls, leading to disease of the arteries.